divination

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “divination” or similar in English is translated in Elhomwe as edduwelle or “to know about the future” (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext) and in Bariai as “magic” (source: Bariai Back Translation).

See also spirit of divination and practice divination.

vision

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin and Greek that is translated as “vision” in English is translated in a variety in the following languages:

  • Chol: “as if in a dream” (source: Robert Bascom)
  • Obolo: ilaak ọkpọchieen̄ or “dreaming awake” (source: Enene Enene)
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “a showing like dreams”
  • Desano: “see in a dream what God will send”
  • Rincón Zapotec: “see what God shows”
  • Mayo: “see things from God as in a dream”
  • Lalana Chinantec: “dream how it is going to be”
  • Chuj: “like dreaming they see”
  • San Mateo del Mar Huave: “understand what they see as if in a dream”
  • Ayutla Mixtec: “see that which will happen” (source for this and seven above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • Tagbanwa: “being caused to dream by God” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Chichewa: azidzaona zinthu m’masomphenya: “they will see things as if face-to-face” (interconfessional translation, publ. 1999) (Source: Wendland 1998, p. 69)
  • Mandarin Chinese: yì xiàng (异象 / 異象), lit. “different (or: strange) appearance.” (Source: Zetzsche)

The Greek in the books of Revelation and Acts is translated as obq-rmwible: “look-dream” in Natügu. Brenda Boerger (in Beerle-Moor / Voinov, p. 162ff.) tells the story of that translation: “In the book of Revelation, the author, John, talks about having visions. Mr. Simon [the native language translator] and I discussed what this meant and he invented the compound verb obq-rmwible ‘look-dream’ to express it. Interestingly, during village testing no one ever had to ask what this neologism meant.”

See also see a vision.

complete verse (Ezekiel 12:24)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezekiel 12:24:

  • Kupsabiny: “It is like that because there shall no more appear people who predict a lie and do sorcery in Israel.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “(It is) sure that in Israel the false vision or lying prophesies will- now -vanish.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “No longer willfalse prophets tell to the Israeli people false visions, or prophecies that try to please people.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Ezekiel 12:24

For there shall be no more any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel: The Hebrew particle ki rendered For connects this verse with the previous verses, introducing the reason why the proverb about false visions will not be valid. It is because there will be no more false visions. Some translations, such as Good News Translation, treat particle ki as an emphatic marker here, but it is more likely a logical connector. False vision is literally “empty [or, worthless] vision” (Jerusalem Bible; similarly King James Version, New Jerusalem Bible). Most versions say “false vision,” but since a worthless vision is obviously false, either rendering is acceptable. Some languages may say “vision of no value.” Flattering divination refers to false messages that some prophets gave to gain favor with the king. False prophets often did not tell the truth to the king but told him what they thought he wanted to hear. They did this to please him and so that he would not become angry with them. The Hebrew word for divination usually has a bad sense and involves foretelling the future with the help of magic or false gods. The core meaning of the Hebrew word for flattering is “smooth.” A person with a smooth tongue is a flatterer. Flattering predictions might sound good, but they were always “false” (Contemporary English Version). Flattering divination may be rendered “deceptive prophecy” (New Jerusalem Bible), “deceitful prophecy” (Jerusalem Bible), or “misleading prophecies” (Good News Translation; similarly Revised English Bible, Bible en français courant). Translators may also say “soothing divination” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) “pleasing prophecies” (New Century Version), or “predictions people want to hear.” For the house of Israel, see Ezek 12.6. A possible model for this verse is:

• This is because no one among the people of Israel will talk about visions of no value or predict things people want to hear.

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .